Shake-splitting machine



Oct. 5,1937. E KOSTER AL 7 2,094,640

SHAKE SPLITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: Corner/1a.; fiefios/er v [Yew 4fi erson I ATTORNEY Patented Dot. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES SHAKE SPLITTIN MACHINE Cornelius De Koster, Sedro W'oolley, and Nels J. Anderson; Seattle, Wash, assignors to Carl Blackstock, Seattle, Wash.

Application November 7, 1934, Serial No. 751.940

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for riving wood blocks or bolts in the production of natural shakes.

The object is the'provision of a perfectedmachine for this purpose and the invention consists inthe novel construction, adaptation, and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawings:

Figurel is a top plan view of the machinerepresenting the same in its now preferred embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line2 2 of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section indicating the wheel assembly for the carriage.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail transverse vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. l, the shakes being indicated in 20 dotted lines to represent the manner in which the same are delivered from the machine.

Fig. 6 is a detail underside plan view of the control mechanism by means of which the inner ends of the grate-beds are regulated in governing the 0 thickness of the broad end of the shakes.

Fig. 7 is a detail indicating the manner of securing the riving knife, the frame being represented in transverse section.

Fig. 8 is a detail cross section of the riving 30 knife, taken to an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 9 indicates a side elevation of a wood bolt and represents the method 'of removing the shakes from the bottom of the bolt upwardly.

' With reference being had to the drawings, we provide legs IEI bo-ltedto a floor II to span a throat 12 through which the shakes aredelivered to suitable edging machinery, said legs being formed integral with side bars l3 and, together with transverse end braces 14, constitute the machine frame which is provided at opposite sides with longitudinally extending horizontal rails l 5, preferably of a V-construction. Mounted to track on said rails for reciprocatory :movement in ahorizontal plane is an open top 'andbottom rectangular carriage IS, the wheels ll therefor being journaled in proximity of the two opposite ends on laterally extending rigid arbors l 8; We further provide, co-acting with the :rails l5,"guard' rails l9 which are received in slotted guides 20 bolted at the opposite ends of the frame to overlie the wheels of the carriage, said guard rails being arranged for relative vertical movement in opposition to springs 2| normally maintaining the same in seating engagement relativeto the guides. As indicated in Fig.

3, the upper or guard rails l9 are disposed to obtain a clearance therebetween and the carriagesupporting wheels I'Land, for tracking engage ment with respect to said upper rails, comple mentary wheels 22 are provided, the arbors'of 5 which are located ina plane. above the wheel arbors I8. 23 represents a power-driven crank operating through the medium of connecting rods 24 which engage the rear arbors of the carriage for driving the latter. 7

Supported medially of the frame in a plane below that of the carriage and operating in conjunction with the end braces M as a transverse tie between the side bars, a double-edge and relatively deep riving knife 25 is provided, said knife being formed with its upper face horizontal or approximately so and with the taper or pitch of one splitting edge 26 somewhat greater than that of the other edge 21, the object being hereinafter described in connection with the operation .of the machine. Vertically adjustable grate-beds are supported at opposite sides of the knife and extend in a plane below that of the knifes riving edge beyond the outermostlimits of the carriage travel, said beds comprising a plurality. of longitudinally extending rods 30' welded in parallel spaced relationover transverse bars 3! which in turn are rigidly carried between side plates32. As shown, the connection between the outer ends of the grate-beds and the frame comprises independently adjustable eccentric-pivots 33, the inner ends of thebeds at each side of the machine being receivedin the fork ends of screw shafts 34, said shafts working in bevel gears which are afforded simultaneous and collective regulation by bevel gears 31 meshing the same, said gears 3! being supported on horizontal shafts 38 which we control by intermeshing bevel gears from a shaft 39 extendingtransversely of the machine below theframe. V

In' accommodating the vertical control of the grate-beds, the carriage end walls are vertically slotted for the reception of bolts 40 carried by plates 4| seating against the inner face of 'the walls, the projecting ends of the bolts exteriorly of the carriage being threaded to receive nuts 42.

In the operation of the machine, the block or bolt W from'which the shakes are produced'is inserted over the grate-bed at one side of the knife, the tip end of the wood or thatend of the grain which lies toward the tip of the tree from which the bolt is cut beingldisposed in cutting relation as respects the'broad edge 21 of the knife to accommodate the greater pull of the grain which obtains toward the butt end of the wood. .55

The forward ends of the beds are elevated or dropped according to the desired thickness of the broad end of the shake with the rear ends of the beds being regulated according to the condition of seasoning of the bolts being run. The pull of the grain in green timber being greater than dry timber, the tendency of the shake being split, without regulating the rear end of the bed, is to run to a feather edge at the tip. As the carriage is reciprocated, the plate 4| rearwardly of the bolt engages the same to force the bolt into the knife, a shake such as indicated by dotted lines S being rived from the bottom of the bolt. Following the travel of the rear end of the bolt beyond the knife, the operation is reversed with the opposite end of the carriage engaging the bolt to return the same into splitting engagement with the knife with a second shake being rived, its butt being taken from the end of the bolt opposite to that of the first shake. The operator rides the bolt in its reciprocatory travel past the knife or, otherwise stated, holds the bolt toward the grate-bed by pressing the same downwardly. Pressure mechanism to a similar end might be readily designed.

The invention is believed clear from the foregoing. It is our intention to limit the same only within the scope of the hereto annexed claims.

What we claim, is:

1. In a machine for the purpose described, the combination with a machine frame providing a track consisting in upper and lower companion rails extending longitudinally of the frame along opposite sides of the same, the lower rails operating as a supporting track and the upper rails as guards, and means operating to yieldably depress said guard rails into predetermined spaced relation above the supporting rails, a carriage of a relative rectangular plan configuration open at its top and bottom for the reception of a shake bolt and providing wheels arranged for tracking engagement over said supporting rails, complementary wheels spaced above the supporting wheels and carried by the carriage for tracking engagement with respect to the guard rails, means for driving the carriage in reciprocatory travel longitudinally of the machine frame, a transversely extending double-edge knife bolted to the frame below said carriage at the approximate mid-point of the carriage travel, inclined bed members located below the plane of the splitting edges of said knife at opposite sides of the same for alternately supporting a shake bolt responsive to reciprocatory carriage-influenced travel of the bolt past the knife, and means for regulating the inclination of said bed members to govern the position of the lower surface of the bolt relative to the knife edges.

2. The structure as described in claim 1, wherein said regulating means accommodates collective adjustment of the inner ends of both bed members.

3. In a machine for the purpose described, in combination with a machine frame providing a track consisting in upper and lower companion rails extending longitudinally of the frame along opposite sides of the same, a carriage of a relative rectangular plan configuration open at its top and bottom for the reception of a shake bolt and providing wheels tracking between said upper and lower rails for reciprocatory movement of the carriage longitudinally of the frame, driving means for said'ca'rriage, a transversely extending double-edge knife bolted to the frame belowsaid carriage at the approximate mid-point of the carriage travel, inclined bed members located at opposite sides of the knife below the plane of the splitting edges of the same for alternately supporting a shake bolt responsive to reciprocatory carriage-influenced travel of the bolt past the knife, and means for regulating the inclination of said bed members to govern the position of the lower surface of the bolt relative to the knife edges.

4. In .a shake-splitting machine, a splitting knife formed with a double edge to afford reciprocatory movement of a shake bolt in feeding opposite ends of thebolt, alternately, into splitting relation with the knife, said knife being formed with the angle lying between the meeting surfaces of one edge in excess of the angle lying between the meeting surfaces of the opposite edge to accommodate the greater pull of the grain of the shake bolt lying toward the butt end of the tree from which the bolt is removed.

5. The combination in a shake-splitting machine of a transversely extending double-edge knife, a pair of inclined bed members located at opposite sides of and below the splitting plane of the knife for supporting a shake bolt, and means acting to engage the shake bolt for operating the bolt in reciprocatory travel from one to the other of said bed members through the plane of the knife edges to remove shakes successively from the bottom of the bolt, said bed members being formed of longitudinally extending rods secured in spaced relation to provide interstices between the rods for clearing the bed members of wood fragments.

6. The combination in a shake-splitting machine of a transversely extending splitting knife, a bed member extending longitudinally from the splitting edge of said knife and below the splitting plane of the latter for supporting a shake bolt to locate the bolt in splitting relation to the knife, and means for effecting relative movement between the bolt and the knife for actuating the knife through the bolt to remove shakes from the bottom of the bolt, said bed member being formed of longitudinally extending rods secured in spaced'relation to provide interstices between the rods for clearing the bed members of wood fragments.

'7. In a machine for the purpose described, in combination with a machine frame providing a track extending longitudinally of the frame along opposite sides of the same, a carriage supported by the track, said carriage being of a relative rectangular plan configuration open at its top and bottom for the reception of a shake bolt, drive means for operating said carriage in reciprocatory movement longitudinally of the frame, a transversely extending double-edge knife secured to the frame to lie approximately media-11y between the end limits of the carriage movement and below the path of travel of the carriage, inclined bed structures located at opposite sides of the knife below the plane of the splitting edges of the knife for alternately supporting a shake bolt in response to reciprocatory carriage-operated travel of the shake bolt past the knife, and means for regulating the inclination of the bed members to govern the angular relativity as between the lower face of the bolt and "the splitting plane of the knife edges, said bed structures compris ing longitudinally extending members secured in parallel spaced relation to provide interstices between the members for clearing the bed structures of wood fragments. V

8. A machine for the purpose described comprised of the combination of a machine frame providinga track extending longitudinally of the frame along opposite sides of the same, a carriage supported by the track and formed to a relative rectangular plan configuration for the reception of a shake bolt, drive means for operating the carriage in reciprocatory movement longitudinally of the frame, a transversely extending double-edge knife secured to the frame to lie approximately medially between the end limits of the carriage movement, and bed structures located at opposite sides of the knife below the plane of the splitting edges of the knife for alternately supporting a shake bolt as the same is driven in reciprocatory travel into splitting engagement with the knife, the bed structures comprising longitudinally extending members secured in parallel spaced relation to provide interstices between the members for clearing the bed structures of wood fragments.

9. A machine for splitting shake bolts comprised of the combination of a machine frame, a doubleedge knife supported to lie transversely of the frame, a pair of bed structures supported by the frame to lie at opposite sides of the knife and below the splitting plane of the knife edges for supporting the work, adjustment mechanism operating to regulate the rear ends of the bed structures toward and from the splitting plane of the knife edges for governing the lower rear edge of the Work in its relation to the splitting plane of the knife edges, a carriage providing thrust walls acting to engage the rear ends of work supported by the bed structures, drive means for operating the carriage in reciprocatory movement longitudinally of the frame to feed the work into splitting engagement with the knife, and adjustment devices for said thrust walls of the carriage affording regulation of the same to accommodate the work-governing regulation of the rear ends of said bed structures.

10. In a shake-splitting machine, in combination with a machine frame, and a double-edge knife supported to lie transversely thereof, a pair of inclined bed structures supported to lie at opposite sides of the knife and below the splitting plane of the knife edges for supporting a shake bolt introduced to the machine, the inclination of said bed structures providing a progressive approach toward the splitting plane of the knife edges from the inner to the outer ends of the bed structures, means for vertically adjusting both the inner and the outer ends of the bed structures for the double purpose of regulating the proximity of the latter to the splitting plane of the knife edges and to vary the inclination of the bed structures, a carriage mounted for reciprocatory movement longitudinally of the frame and having means acting to transmit like movement to the bed-supported shake bolt for actuating the latter in bolt-splitting action longitudinally of the frame from one to the other of the bed structures, and drive means for the carriage.

11. The machine as defined in claim 10 in which the carriage is open at the top and bottom with the bed-structures acting as the bolt-supporting bottoms therefor, the top opening acting to permit relatively free movement of the shake bolt vertically to accommodate slight irregularities in the grain of the wood as the bolt is progressively split longitudinally of the grain.

12. The method of cutting natural wood shakes which consists in supporting a shake bolt to have the longitudinal grain of the wood lie at right angles to the edge of a splitting knife and in inclined relation to the splitting plane of the knife such as to locate the bolt in position whereat the butt end of the shake to be split therefrom lies at the end of the bolt adjacent the knife, feeding the inclined bolt into splitting engagement with the knife to have the knife traverse the bolt in a direction longitudinally of the grain and, during the feeding action, allowing relatively free movement of the bolt to accommodate irregularities in the grain whereby to permit the knife to follow the natural line of a feathering split and prevent a cutting action as between the knife and the wood fibers.

CORNELIUS DE KOSTER. NELS J. ANDERSON. 

